


Bark if you need me

by auworksforme



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-14 10:58:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auworksforme/pseuds/auworksforme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max - Erik Lensherr's dog - seems to be overly fond of the man they met in the park. Erik is - after a few conversations - quick to follow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting in the park

"It's amazing how you can be so overjoyed by walking the same walk for every other day." Erik Lensherr, successful publisher for every hour between eight AM and PM except for lunch, tried to untangle his Dalmatian's leash.  
  
The Dalmatian in question crossed through the room before circling its master again, stepping on Eriks favourite leather shoes.  
  
"Max! Halt!" He could control a team of fourteen people in the age range between 24 and 64, why couldn't he control a three-year-old Dalmatian?  
  
Max made another twirl before sitting down on his shoes. Erik clicked the leash on its collar and decided to untangle it on the way down to the park.  
  
He was half way there - on the leash as well as close to the park - when Max barked, gave a sharp _tug_ and ran off.  
  
"Max! You stupid dog!" Erik looked down at his brand new pin-striped suit and leather shoes and sighed. He really wasn't wearing anything that was right to chase a dog in. _This isn't the day for you to forget every thing I ever taught you._  
Muttering to himself, he followed his dog into the park. Inside, he put his fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. If Max hadn't smelled a squirrel, that would help.  
  
No Dalmatian. A groan escaped him when Erik looked at his watch. Just another twenty minutes before he had to be back in the office.  
  
"Max!" He unleashed a string of German curses. "If you don't get back here in five seconds, it will only be water and bread for th-"  
  
A small family steered their children away from his path. Whatever. Children were even worse than dogs because they could talk back.  
  
"Max!" Erik turned a corner, crossed a bridge and saw something familiar at the other end of the park, near the small collection of benches. "Got ya."  
  
It took him little over five minutes (he didn't want to break into a sweat in this suit), before he was close enough to recognize his dog. And to discover that he was giving a man a complete and utter slobber attack. _Oh scheisse._  
  
Erik grabbed Max' collar, gave it one big tuck and pulled the Dalmatian from the dishevelled man. A not so bad looking man, in the moment he could get an eyeful. "Bad, bad dog!"  
  
Max whined and immediately sat down. Now he decided to start listening. "I'm so very sorry." Erik looked up into big bright blue eyes. "I will pay the cleaner fee for your clothes, of course. He didn't hurt you, did h-" The man was smiling.  
No, he was laughing.  
  
"He's very enthusiastic, I'd say." There was a non-American lilt to his words, which made them sound warmer and rounder. "There was no harm done."  
  
 _No harm done? Did you look at your clothes?_ "I insist." Erik tried to reach his inside pocket for a business card.  
  
"Is he yours?"  
  
"Yes. And usually he listens." He got a card and gave it to the brunette. "Here you go. Send me a bill, please. I'm sorry for your inconveni-"  
  
"You don't get a no very often, do you?" It was still bright eyes and a big smile. "But thank you very much", he turned the business card. "Mister Lensherr, for your offer."  
  
"Erik."  
  
"Charles." He extended a hand. "Can't I really convince you that I don't need your money? I mean, just look at my clothes. This are my outdoors-I'm a stuffy Professor-don't mind me clothes."  
  
He shook the hand. "All right." Erik looked at his watch and knew he was going to be late. A stuffy professor with a big grin wasn't a legal excuse and he still needed to walk Max. "Choose yourself, but don't feel like it's a bother. I can handle a dry cleaning bill and who knows, maybe this is your favourite Stuffy Professor outfit."  
  
Charles' eyes wandered over Erik's suit. "Clearly."  
  
Max nudged his thigh, clearly torn between making another run for it and a hugging frenzy. "I have to go. Have a nice day. Don't feel obliged t-"  
  
"Yes, I know." Charles nodded. "Have a nice day."  
  
Erik hated it when people interrupted him. But it was less bad when done with such a voice.

\\\

 _Why had he walked away so fast? Clearly Charles had been interested, or he wouldn't allow a big dog to slobber all over him._ Erik should have asked for his number in return and spent as long time with him as necessary. But for the name on this building, he owned this place. Of course he could show up late!  
  
"Mister Lensherr?"  
  
He shouldn't have been so focused on Max, but he had been ashamed. Bad dog behaviour always reflected on the owner.  
  
"Mister Lensherr?"  
  
Maybe he could walk the same round tomorrow.  
  
"Erik."  
  
Erik's head snapped up. There was only one man who dared to use his first name. His boss. "Mister Stark?"  
  
Tony smiled. "That's me. Are you joining us in mind as well as body or should  I return to you later?"  
  
"Of course not, sir."  
  
"Tony." He winked. "Good to know, because I don't think your team of rats asses can do without you. Do I have your focus?"  
  
Or he could just let one of his assistants look for professors with a C as an initial. "You have my focus."


	2. Meeting up

The next day, Erik took the long way round in the park. When Max started whining, he immediately searched for Charles, before unleashing his dog. The brunette didn't seem to mind anyway ..  
  
"Don't worry, I've got him!" Charles was trying to stay up right while Max was jumping around him, trying to lick his face. Erik didn't deem it possible that Charles would really be able to grab Max' collar, but that didn't matter, he was there for that.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Eriks face brightened. "Oh, it's you again!" He grabbed his dog's collar and told it to sit down.   
  
"Me again." Charles smiled. "Erik, right?"  
  
"Right. Do you own a dog yourself? Or a cat? Max never exaggerates so much, but .."  
  
"Nothing. Just me by myself."  
  
 _That was a hint, right?_ "Strange. Well, I'm sorry, but luckily this time he didn't leave his muddy paws on your p-"  
  
"He did." Charles turned for him, showing a small spot on his back side. A potentially good ass, underneath all those layers. Why couldn't grown men dress properly?  
  
"Very sorry for that. At least you already got my card."   
  
Max barked and tried to break free from Eriks grip. "You're carrying raw beef in your pants?"  
  
Charles laughed. "Excuse me?"  
  
 _That sounded better in his head._ "Only reason I could think of his enthusiasm."  
  
"Maybe he just likes me. I'm extremely likeable."  
  
"Ah." Erik fidgeted with Max' leash. He never fidgeted. "Well."  
  
"You're in a hurry again?" The man squatted down next to Max, who saw it as an perfect excuse to start licking his face.  
  
"Max, no!" He pulled him back. "You really should keep your face away."  
  
"I don't mind."  
  
"You don't mind a lot."   
  
"I do, but the things I mind simply aren't around right now." He looked up at Erik. Erik could think of all the nice situations in which Charles could look up at him like that, but that was running ahead of schedule.   
  
"That must be nice." Max' tail was in danger of dropping off, it was beating so eagerly. _What did Charles have that he didn't?_   
  
"Oh." Charles looked at his watch. "Now it's my time to leave first. But with some luck we'll run into each other again."  
  
 _Luck? Just call me._ "I'm here three times a day." Erik smiled. "No fee."  
  
The brunette rose and looked at him with a spark in his eye. "I didn't expect you as the cheap kind."  
  
"I think it's time you left." _Wrong sentence. Try again._ "I don't think you can place any financial value on me."   
  
"So I'll never know if I can afford you?" Charles winked. "See you, Erik."   
  
"See you." _Call me!_ He refused to be the first to take that step. "Have a nice day."   
  
Max started to whine. Erik knew how he felt.

//

Erik walked the same round next day, but Max stayed docile and he couldn't find Charles anywhere.   
Disappointing.   
  
Back in the office, Tony called him into his room. "Erik."  
  
"Sir."  
  
"Tony."  
  
Erik sat down. "Yes?"  
  
"Why are you suddenly taking such long breaks? Are you talking with the competition? Saving grandmas from cabs? I know you have a dog, but don't you rent someone to walk him? Shortly put", Tony put his hands together. "What's going on?"  
  
"Are you asking that as my boss, who I shouldn't feel obliged to tell what I do in my time off? Or as ..sort of a-"  
  
"I'm just curious."   
  
"There's nothing going on." Erik leant back in his chair. He hadn't even discovered yet where Charles lived. Maybe he had been in town for two days. Maybe his stubbornness had kept him from a nice man.  
  
"You look like you lost a billion dollar case."   
  
_Maybe more._ "There's nothing wrong and nothing that will hurt your company."  
  
"I don't believe you, but I will for the sake of our lovely relationship."  
  
"You're talking out of your ass." Erik rose. "Can I continue with my work?"   
  
Tony smiled. "Lovely."   
  
~~  
  
It was late at night, but Erik felt like noodles. It was Max' excessive barking that made him realize he was a couple of places in line behind Charles.   
  
Charles and another man, the two of them in a heated discussion. The other man looked younger than Charles, but maybe that was something he liked. The urge to release Max was strong, but the owner of the noodle shop would have his head.   
  
But the barking had pulled everyone's attention to him. "Erik?" Charles turned. "Well, that's a coincidence!"  
  
"No such thing", his friend muttered, wiping away a mop of brown hair. _Maybe there were related? He could do with a snarky younger brother._   
  
"Yes, it is!" He bit his own tongue. Yelling through a shop wasn't really what he wanted to be known for.   
  
Max calmed down as soon as Charles started petting him.   
  
"We were studying late." He pointed to his companion. "Felt like noodles and Hank said this is the best place."  
  
"Ah. Yes, it is." _Was studying late an euphemism?_   
  
"Should you even bring your dog in here?"  
  
"Last walk of the day. Owner doesn't mind."  
  
"Could you guys maybe move?" A woman with hair curlers looked like she could handle all three of them.   
  
Charles blushed, a very nice look on him. "Of course, yes we can. Don't mind us." He walked back to his spot and filled the gap. "Erik, maybe we can have our noodles together?"   
  
Erik would love too, especially if he could discover along the way what the relationship was between Charles and his student.   
  
~~~~  
  
On the fourth day, Erik already saw Charles on the edge of the park, sharing a bench with a blonde -again younger- guy. Another student?   
  
He couldn't release Max until they had crossed the road, so when he could, the Dalmatian was so eager that he half-climbed the blond to get to Charles.   
  
Which is what Erik would have done as well.   
  
"Jesus! Get your dog- no Prof, it isn't f-!"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Charles beamed at him. "Hi Erik."   
  
"You know this guy?" Blonde didn't seem impressed.   
  
"That's Erik. His dog loves me."   
  
_And I might not be far behind._ Which was a stupid thought, because he barely knew the guy.   
  
"His dog should be on a leash."  
  
"He is", Erik remarked. "But Charles simply brings the worst out in him."  
  
"I just can't help it." Charles didn't even try to look guilty. "Care to join us, Erik? We're talking about genealogy."  
  
 _How boring._ "I'd love to."


	3. Puppy love

After three more days, Charles invited Erik over for lunch. Before Erik could stop himself he had blabbed out "You're going to cook for me?"   
  
Charles had politely answered that he needed more than an hour for that, but he could take Erik to a place with nice food. The only thing was that there weren't dogs allowed.   
  
Erik could live with that, and it might even make him the centre of attention for a change.  
  
The lunch had been such a success that Erik had only noticed him being late when a terrified assistant texted him to ask if he was still alive because he was two hours late.   
  
But nothing changed after that, alone for the fact they knew more about each other. Was Charles fine with this? Flirty banter in the park but nothing more? Or was his dog his unique selling point?   
  
"Mister Lensherr?" His assistant didn't dare meet his eye. "Your dog walker is here? With Max?"   
  
"She usually waits downstairs, why did you let her u-" He saw a familiar face appear next to his assistants'. "Charles. What are you doing here?"  
  
"Looked up your address, black mailed your dog walker, stalked you into your office." He smiled. "Should I put you on a leash or are you going to follow quietly?"  
  
His assistant turned purple.   
  
"That was uncalled for." Erik couldn't control a laugh. "He'll never be able to look at me again."  
  
Charles shrugged. "I'm sorry. Shall we?"   
  
~~~  
  
After a long walk, Erik tried to put Max on a leash again. The Dalmatian tried to avoid him by jumping around Charles, who only laughed.   
  
Max didn't stop when he was leashed either. "Excuse me", Erik muttered when he bumped into Charles while trying to untangle the path Max weaved between them.  
  
"It's fine, really."   
  
Erik looked up, painfully aware that his head was too close to Charles' crotch. "What aren't you fine with?"  
  
Charles blushed. "I stall too much, sometimes."   
  
"Oh?" His hands grazed the smaller man's ass, following the leash.   
  
"I really like you, Erik."   
  
He stood up straight, releasing the dog leash. "Good."   
  
For a moment it was like time was frozen around them. But then Max yapped and launched itself at God knew what, effectively pulling Erik down and Charles on top of him.  
  
"Are you all r-"   
  
Before he could finish his question, Charles closed his mouth with his own. His kiss was hot and eager and Erik found it hard not to moan. He was lying in the public park on the ground in a good suit but all he could think about was that he shouldn't rut against Charles.   
  
"Yes I am, thank you very much." He looked up. "But where did Max go?" 


End file.
